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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · cap · spell · pitch · fall · patient · foot · board

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bank — of a river
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spell — letters
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — for money
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fall — the season
  20. board — to get on
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. board — a committee
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com